1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to automated online broadcasting and more particularly to an automated system and method for broadcasting meetings using an omni-directional camera system and presenting the broadcasted meeting to a viewer over a computer network both on-demand and live.
2. Related Art
Meetings are widely used in many settings (such as corporations and universities) to exchange information and ideas as well as transfer knowledge through teaching and learning. A meeting is generally an assembly of persons for a common purpose, such as to discuss a certain topic or subject. It is possible that all persons wanting to view the meeting may not be able to physically be in the room where the meeting is occurring. For example, an interested person may be a distance away from where the meeting is taking place or the meeting room may not be able to accommodate all interested person. Moreover, scheduling and time conflicts may prevent interested persons from attending a meeting they might otherwise want to or be required to attend. Although it is possible for a person who did not attend a meeting to be briefed after the meeting, this is often ineffective. One solution is to broadcast the meeting over a computer network (or online broadcasting) so that the meeting may be viewed using a viewer's computer either as the meeting is occurring (“live”) or at a later time that is convenient for the viewer (“on-demand”).
Online broadcasting of a meeting is both a convenient and an effective way to experience the meeting. If the meeting is broadcasted online (such as, for example, over the Internet or a corporate network), the meeting may be viewed from remote locations (such as home) or from an office in another city. Moreover, if a person cannot view the meeting at the meeting time, recording the meeting and broadcasting the recorded meeting on-demand allows a person to view the meeting generally anytime and at the convenience of the person. Moreover, viewing a video of the meeting may also save time by allowing a person to view only those portions of the meeting that the viewer deems relevant. In addition, a video of the recorded meeting can be effective as a memory-jogging tool allowing, for example, critical decisions made during the meeting to be reviewed.
The expense associated with online broadcasting of a meeting, however, serves to deter the online broadcasting of the majority of meetings that occur. These costs include the cost of planning to record and broadcast the meeting, the cost of equipping the meeting room with the video production equipment, and the significant cost of a human video production team. For example, a video production team includes a camera operator to film the meeting, an editor to edit the camera output, and a publisher to broadcast the meeting over a computer network. Equipment cost is a one-time cost and tends to become less expensive as market demand increases. Labor cost for a video production team, however, is a recurring cost and one is of the main prohibitions to the online broadcasting of meetings. In addition to the cost, the presence of a camera operator in a meeting often disrupts and perturbs the group dynamics of the meeting.
Recent advances in computer vision and signal-processing technologies have made feasible the possibility of automating the online broadcasting of a meeting. One such automated video production technique is discussed in co-pending application Ser. No. 09/681,835, filed on Jun. 14, 2001, entitled “Automated video production system and method using expert video production rules for online publishing of lectures”. Automated video production systems and methods that allow high-quality broadcasting of a meeting over a computer network are highly desirable because the labor costs associated with online broadcasting are greatly reduced. Because labor costs are a major obstacle to the online broadcasting of meetings, high-quality automated camera management provides greater incentive for the online broadcasting of meetings or other events.
Accordingly, there exists a need for an online broadcasting system and method that is automated to alleviate labor costs associated with broadcasting a meeting over a computer network. What also is needed is an automated online broadcasting system and method that provides a high-quality broadcast to viewers. What is further needed is an automated online broadcasting system and method that provides a rich and customized viewing experience for a viewer such that the viewer has a variety of options available when viewing the broadcasted meeting. Thus, one viewer is able to customize his viewing experience of a meeting to his particular desires and another viewer of the same meeting is able to customize her viewing experience to her desires. This ensures that viewers of the broadcasted meeting as afforded a beneficial and positive viewing experience.